


Brothers

by SusanaR



Category: Deryni Chronicles - Katherine Kurtz
Genre: Blood Brothers, Friendship, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-07-28
Updated: 2011-12-31
Packaged: 2017-10-21 20:52:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,156
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/229726
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SusanaR/pseuds/SusanaR
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A series of short (so far) missing-moment type stories, from Dhugal's POV, set during and probably also just after "The Bishop's Heir."</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Summary Chapter 1: A short Dhugal-POV rumination set at the end of Chapter 5 of the Bishop's Heir, inspired by my wondering what Dhugal might have been thinking at that point in time.
> 
>  
> 
> A/N: Set after the end of Chapter 5 of "The Bishop's Heir," when Kelson and Dhugal part ways, Kelson to return to Culdi, and Dhugal to remain at Transha (until confronting the fleeing Archbishop Loris and company interrupted Dhugal's plans). This will hopefully be the first of a series of Dhugal-POV short stories, focusing on what Dhugal's return to court after escaping from the Mearan rebels might have been like, and what it might have been like to be newly returned to Gwynedd's capital, while openly the young King's good friend and secretly Bishop McLain's newly-discovered son, and a Deryni.
> 
>  
> 
> "So long as I have breath, I will stand by my brother with my life and my honor....
> 
> Kelson clasped his free hand around [his and Dhugal's] joined [hands] and nodded.
> 
> 'I'll expect you int the spring, then, my brother,' he said quietly..."'Do your filial duty through the winter, and keep the peace here in Transha for me, and then come to me at Culdi as soon as the passes are clear.'
> 
> 'I will, my lord,' Dhugal whispered, 'And God keep us both safe until then.'"
> 
> \- Excerpt from the end of Chapter 5 of "The Bishop's Heir," by Katherine Kurtz

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A short Dhugal-POV rumination set at the end of Chapter 5 of the Bishop's Heir, inspired by my wondering what Dhugal might have been thinking at that point in time.

When you take a man as your brother, you take the good and the ill of him.

Dhugal had taken Kelson as his brother, and meant to honor the vows he'd made. As brother, and liege-man.

When he'd taken Kelson as his brother, though, Kelson had been a Prince, not a King.

Fair enough, Dhugal had been a child, too. They'd both seen blood and hard choices, in the years since. Kelson on a grander scale than Dhugal, but one thing about growing up is, you realize that becoming a man is a common experience, in the border highlands or in the midst of the great events of the day.

More frightening to Dhugal, though he found himself ashamed ever to be scared of his brother, was that Kelson had gained powers as well as maturity and experience. More than temporal powers. All the use that Dhugal had ever seen Kelson make of them, was good...but that did not make it less frightening.

Dhugal's brother Kelson was a King. Could compel the death of a man, but wouldn't do so without justice. Dhugal knew that because he knew Kelson. As soon as they'd seen one another again, the years had fallen away and added back up. They were older now, but they were brothers still.

Dhugal's brother Kelson was a...well, like a Deryni, whatever that meant. Dhugal had to grant Kelson that it didn't seem to mean what the Church said it did, not if Kelson was like other Deryni. Kelson had used his power to make a wounded man sleep peacefully, so that Dhugal could stitch a wound shut, with any luck saving the poor fellow's arm. Kelson had used his powers to make Dhugal's aged father tell them all he knew of what his brother was doing in Laas, but...Kelson had needed to know, for the good of his Kingdom, that Dhugal's estranged uncle was up to treason. Kelson had used his powers to confer with General Morgan, and learn from his trusted officer of new developments in Culdi, as a good King should. None of that seemed wrong, to Dhugal. A hard choice, taking such knowledge from Dhugal's father, who was Kelson's foster-father by their oath as blood-brothers. But a needful one, a decision Dhugal understood. And Kelson had struggled over it, too.

As Dhugal now struggled, the morning that his brother left Transha. For, if Kelson was right, Dhugal was also Deryni.

But that was secondary to other concerns, and Dhugal put it aside. Kelson was his brother, and Deryni or not, afraid or not, Dhugal would be by his side, come spring.


	2. Cold

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> On the way home from Ratharkin with Sidana and Llewell as hostages, Dhugal ponders whether keeping one oath forgives your sins in breaking another, and begins to wonder about the road that he is on, as blood-brother to King Kelson.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I did not expect this to be more than a one-shot, but it seems like I may add more chapters, just expanding on what might possibly have been going on in Dhugal's head at one point or another in the story, or what might have happened as Dhugal returned to court after being kidnapped and escaping with Sidana.
> 
> This takes place as the army is returning to Rhemuth after the raid on Ratharkin.

The King and his men moved at best pace for Rhemuth, away from Ratharkin and the Pretender's traitor-army.

'My Aunt's traitor army,' Dhugal corrected numbly to himself. 'And I and she in good company, for I forswore my oath to her. I can't wish not to be free, or for Kelson not to have my poor cousin Sidana and her loathsome brother as his hostages. Not given the uprising my uncle's wife is fomenting in pursuit of a by-gone dream. But what the cost is to my soul of having sworn and broken my recent oaths, to uphold my loyalty to my blood-brother...I know not.' Dhugal shivered at the thought, though he was a practical man rather than a spiritual one, and did not see himself having chosen any differently.

King Kelson must have mistaken the reason for the shiver, for he took his hand off of the stirrups of his horse which carried them both, and squeezed Dhugal's arm reaassuringly. "We'll have you back to Rhemuth and warmed soon enough, brother." Kelson promised, and Dhugal could almost see Kelson's grin with his next words, even though Kelson faced away from him, "Your Transha men may well begin an impromptu clan celebration in the courtyard of my castle, to celebrate."

Despite his worries, over the forthcoming war and Kelson's safety and even his own immortal soul, Dhugal had to smile at that. "Aye, Kelson, there's a danger of that," Dhugal agreed, addressing his King familiarly as Kelson preferred, since no one else was close enough to hear their whispers, "After all," Dhugal relayed the old, familiar joke, "You can take the borderman out of the borders, but not the borders out of the man."

Laughing brightly, Kelson replied, "God bless them. Who'd want to? Life is never dull with you and your clansmen about." Then Kelson sobered, and as Dhugal had part-expected, part-hoped, and part-feared, the King asked, "I do hope that I will see more of you, and of them. That you might even join my council, and make Rhemuth your home away from home."

"I...am honored, Sire, my brother." Dhugal answered, and that part was true, "I don't know how I am to balance my responsibilities as laird and Earl between Transha and Rhemuth, but you are my King and my brother, and I will do my best to be by your side whenever you have need of me, or wish me to be there."

Kelson's hand squeezed Dhugal's arm again, this time pulling the younger border lord closer against the King's back. Kelson wasn't that much bigger than Dhugal, but he was the better part of a year older, and his back was enough to keep the wind off of Dhugal. So Dhugal now shivered less because of the cold, and more for grief and worry. Not only over his father's death and how he could be the Earl of Transha, the Laird of the McArdrys, and also the King's brother, but also at what being the King's brother would mean. Or rather, what it might mean, now that Kelson thoguht Dhugal to be Deryni. And if being Deryni itself was a sin, as the Church preached, then Dhugal would likely have to sin more in the eyes of God, just to stay loyal to the oath of brotherhood he made with his King, long and long ago on a hill outside Rhemuth.

Dhugal didn't regret that oath, or anything he might have to do to keep it. Kelson was worth it. But that didn't mean that Dhugal wasn't afraid. He shivered again.

Kelson halted his horse, and called for a blanket.

"I'm fine, Sire, really." Dhugal protested, embarrassed.

"You'll put the blanket on your shoulders, and you'll keep it there." Kelson disagreed sternly. And Dhugal obeyed, because his blood-brother was King, and because he was cold. Dhugal would not worry now about pointing out to Kelson that he did not expect and would not accept special treatment from the King just for being his brother, he'd save that for later. It didn't seem like the right moment now...Kelson didn't seem in a listening mood. So Dhugal, now warmed by the blanket, held onto Kelson's waist, and had almost fallen asleep when he heard his clansmen's exuberant cries of welcome.


End file.
